Chapter 2: family

…well…this is awkward. Please R&R hope you enjoy. I do not own Pokémon.

I swallowed hard there was no mistaking the woman before her. She looked exactly as she had in the ragged picture I had in my back pack.

"Um…" I started nervously.

"Oh you're a trainer?" the woman said as she spotted the poke balls strapped to my belt. I nodded quickly and she said. "Why don't you come inside for some tea then the least I can do to help a passing traveler." I shakily shook my head and gave her a slight bow.

"Thank you." I said barely above a whisper. I followed her and the Mr. Mime inside and sat down at the kitchen table. She stood at the stove for a minute as she gently picked up the hot water and poured two mugs putting the tea pouch in them. I watched carefully when she turned around she put down the mugs and smiled at me and for the first time I noticed she had the same emerald eyes exactly like mine, which explained a lot because my father had dark brown eyes.

"Now what where you saying earlier?" she asked me as she sat down taking a sip of her tea. Noticing I made no move towards. "Are you ok? You look like something is on your mind." I hesitated before I pulled together enough strength to say.

"Are you Delia Ketchum?" she nodded.

She picked up her cup and took another sip I sighed and I said slowly. "I have been looking for you…My name is Claire Ketchum." The woman slammed the mug down on the table splashing green tea across it, shock in her eyes.

"C-Claire." She stammered. She looked at me without a word for a minute unsure of what she should do. "Claire…your really here." she stood up from the plain pine wood table as she approached me. She fell to her knees and pulled me into a hug. My eyes revealed my shock. I stood there awkwardly. Suddenly I felt something wet on my shoulder…she was crying. I slowly put my arms around her and returned the hug awkwardly.

"I didn't think I would ever see you again." She pulled away from me and wiped the tears from her eyes and she said. "You're so big the last time I saw you, you were still just a baby. You have no idea how much I wanted to see you." I couldn't stop the chock reflected in my face. She gave me a forced smile and I asked.

"What happened? Why did you leave us?"

"I had no choice, your father and I decided it was best if he stayed away but then you three had to be split up…parting with you and your sister was the hardest decision I ever had to make." I tried to conceal my shaking to little avail. "I'm sorry, but your father and I agreed never to take part in each other's lives again."

"But why!" I asked begging for an answer to my question. She looked at me, pity reflected in her eyes. Her eyes had a far off look in them as she muttered more to herself then to me.

"So he hasn't told her." she turned back to me and said sadly. "I'm sorry I can't reveal his secret to you it's not my place."

"What secret?"

"It's nothing I swore I wouldn't get involved with your lives like he swore never to get involved with your brother's."

….wait BROTHER! For the first time it clicked.

"What do you mean Brother?" I asked. Her face went completely pale and I heard a door open and shut somewhere behind me. I heard a familiar voice yell.

"Hi mom I'm home! Look at this badge I got!" three people walked into the kitchen. I turned in my chair to see the three trainers I had met earlier approach. My jaw dropped as I stared in disbelief. He is my brother? I did not see that coming.

"Oh hey you're the girl we met on the way here, Claire right?" Misty asked.

"Oh hey," Ash said as if just noticing I was there. For the first time I got a good look at him and noticed he had brown eyes just like Ruby, just like our dad. "What are you doing here?" he asked me. "And mom, are you ok? You look pale," She smiled feebly and sat down in the other chair. "Mom?" I turned to face Miss. Ketchum…I mean mom; it was so easy to call her mom she was a kind person the kind you would look up to like a mother. Turning my back to the three trainers.

"Ash," mother said quietly. "I have something to tell you." Ash looked at her confused; she looked up at Misty and Brock. "Can you please leave us for a few minutes?" they nodded solemn faced and Mr. Mime walked them out the door to wait in the garden. "Ash," His I mean our, mother started, "this might be hard to understand but I think it's about time I told you about your father." Ash's face turned serious and he sat down at the third seat.

"Mom is everything alright?" he asked worried. He gave me an accusing look one I was use to getting from Ruby. The 'this is entirely your fault,' look. He gave it the same way she did. I began nervously pulling on a strand of my light brown hair.

"Ash, when you were still a baby your father and I decided it was best to split. It wasn't good for anyone if we stayed together. But we had to make a few compromises and exchanges. We decided we would never remarry, that we had to stay out of each other's lives, and the most difficult stay out of the lives of each other's children." Ash stared at her in shock it looked as if he was trying to consume the information trying to understand what she was saying.

"What- what do you mean?" he stammered giving me a quick glance.

"Ash… you aren't an only child." Ash and I exchanged glances. "Claire when is your birthday?"

I swallowed before answering. "April first." Ash leaped to his feet suddenly.

"NO WAY!" he cried out. "THAT'S MY BIRTHDAY!"

"WHAT!" I called back even though we were only a few feet away, I leaped to my feet. Normally mother would have tried to calm us down but she didn't make any move to.

"Ash, meet your twin Claire." Ash and I stared at each other blankly for a long moment, our brains unable to absorb this information. Brother I'll believe. I thought, but twin! That's just not possible! I had to think about it for a long moment before I could accept it. I have a few things in common with mother, And he kind of looks like father. He had the same eyes the same color hair.

"M-mom, are you serious?" Ash stuttered. I myself was a bit shaken but I forced myself to calm down. I sat down and closed my eyes breathing deeply while Ash looked at us in disbelief before sitting down.

"There's more." Mom said. "You have a younger sister as well, Claire I believe you know Ruby." I nodded thinking back to my younger sister. When I thought about her rebellious attitude, her short temper and the fighting we would always do I had a slight sense of home sickness, we always fought but we are sisters, we are suppose to and we just play around. A small part of me was screaming what have I done? Everything was fine the way it was did I just mess up the balance? Ash looked like he was about to have a stroke. Finally Ash calmed and seemed to accept it. He sat down and smiled.

"So Claire looks like your part of the family…literally." Mom sighed in relief at how well we were taking this. I gave a nervous smile and we all sat in silence for a moment.

"So what do we do now?"

"Claire what were you doing before you came to pallet town?" Mom asked.

"She was on her way to becoming a Pokémon trainer." Ash responded for me.

"You too," Mom asked. Then she said more to herself then to us. "Just like your father." Suddenly Ash turned to me with a look of wonder in his eyes.

"By the way Claire." He asked almost hesitate. "What is dad like?" Mom's eyes went wide for a moment and she closed them looking down almost disappointed.

"He's really busy." I told him. "He is almost always away on business or taking care of the company."

"What company?" Ash asked. I nodded briskly.

"He won't tell me what it is but I assume he means the gym."

"Dad runs a gym?" Ash asked in amazement. I nodded. "THAT'S SO COOL!" Ash proclaimed pumping his fist in the air. I heard mom sigh in relief.

"But I don't know where he disappears half the time he says one day I will know but who knows when that will be." Mom gave me a look of sympathy. The room fell silent as we didn't know what to do. I thought I heard mom mutter something about. 'Thank God she's not like her father'

"Well now what?" I asked. "Ash what were you doing before this?"

"I was on my way to become the world's best Pokémon trainer!" a small sweat drop came down the side of my head. Is that all this kid this kid thinks about?

"I'm sorry but what's the point?" I asked. Mom's head shot to attention her recent relief turning to what was…what? Worry?

"What did you say?" Ash asked me looking as if I had just stabbed him in the heart. Even his Pikachu looked at me weird.

"What?" I asked innocently a little freaked by the way they were looking at me.

"Pokémon are awesome!" Ash declared loudly as he got to his feet and picked up Pikachu. "They have amazing abilities and can be a great friend how can you not see how great Pokémon are?" he yelled at me.

"Yup sorry my bad." I said wanting to end the conversation. Mom looked hurt and that made a wave of guilt run through me. I don't get it Dad never made this big a deal about Pokémon. He had a lot of them yea but never made it a point to say how great they were. He just said if they are weak they are useless.

"So what are you planning to do now?" Mom asked trying to change the subject as Ash sat down.

"Well if your dad owns a gym I might as well go to that one next!" Ash said enthusiastically.

"Sorry to disappoint you but Dad's not home right now. He left for what he said will be about a week before me said he would be gone for about a month. Sorry." Ash let out a sigh in disappointment.

"So are you going back home or are you going to travel some first?" Ash asked "I mean if your dad's not home then there's really no point."

"I think I will head home this had been enough adventure for me." Ash shrugged.

"Misty Brock and I are on our way to the next town with a gym then maybe Cerulean city."

"That's right past home I will go with you." I said and he nodded.

"Thanks mom." Ash said and stood up.

"Thank you for everything it was very nice to meet you miss -mom." I stuttered almost calling her Miss. Ketchum. I gave her a slight bow and turned to follow Ash out of the room. That had been extremely awkward.

I followed Ash and his friends down the road in silence. As was my habit I called out Evee and carried her in my arms taking comfort in her soft familiar fur. Almost like a stuffed Pokémon. What am I suppose to say? I thought.

"So Claire what kind of Pokémon do you want to catch?" Brock asked me.

"I am not sure I haven't really thought about it." I answered I haven't even been away from home for an entire week yet." Remembering I had left the day before, quite a short trip. I thought as we stopped walking.

"You should go to Professor Oak he normally has extra Pokémon maybe he can give you one." Ash said. "Don't worry we will wait for you." We walked to the front of the laboratory and I knocked on the door. The professor opened the door again seeming more relaxed than before. I peeked around him into the building to find a Vulpix sitting on the floor happily eating Pokémon food.

"Why hello." The professor greeted after a second he recognized me from earlier and asked. "Weren't you the girl looking for Delia?" I nodded shyly and he was about to ask why when he looked around me to see Ash, Misty and Brock. "Why hello there, Ash it's been some time."

"Hello Professor." They said in greeting.

"This is our friends, Claire we were wondering if you had an extra Pokémon you could give her."

"Oh I'm so sorry but I don't think…" he shot a quick glance back into the room behind him at the Vulpix. It was staring around with a mischievous look then looked at us innocently. "Actually you are in luck." He walked inside and picked up the small creature. The Vulpix stared at us all curiously as she hung in midair. "This Vulpix has a knack for getting into trouble and I think it could use a little more training."

"WHAT A CUTE VULPIX!" Misty shrieked. I will give it that it was cute and furry. I smiled and its gaze turned to me. Eyes wide and...Longing? I stared deep into its gorgeous, big purple eyes defiantly longing.

"Are you sure it doesn't already have a trainer?" Ash asked. The Professor shook his head sadly.

"I'm afraid not. I found this poor thing abandoned in the bushes just outside town. Apparently this poor Vulpix never had a home for very long, I don't think it has family or friends to take care of it either." he put the Vulpix down and it scampered up to me. I bent down to it and whispered.

"I guess you and I have a lot in common huh little guy." I thought back to how dad was always gone. I stood up with the Vulpix in my arms. "If it's ok with you Professor I would like to take this Vulpix." The professor nodded. I turned my attention back to Vulpix and said. "Looks like your part of the family now."

"Go ahead, I warn you though she likes mischief so be on your guard. She broke some of my best china earlier." I giggled at the memory and bowed to him in thanks. I pulled an empty pokeball off my belt and a bright flash of red light pulled Vulpix into the ball. It flashed 3 times before calming in my hand. The professor took a glance at Evee and had what almost looked like a stroke. He ran inside and threw a bunch of stuff off his desk landing on the floor in a large mess.

"Where is it? Where is it?" he cried out as he frantically searched. "YES!" he pulled out a small grey rock. He ran up to me and reached it out to me.

"This is a moon stone. A professor in Joto sent it to me. It can evolve your Evee into an Umbreon. As you may know Evee is one of few Pokémon who has multiple evolution choices and they can only be evolved with the proper stone. It's quite remarkable." I took it in my hand and turned it over examining it. Evee sniffed the air as if able to smell it.

"Thank you."

"Just make sure you come by sometime to let me see the evolved form."

"I will thank you." I promised.

"Bye Professor we are heading off now." Ash waved.

"Alright I am going to visit your mother. Don't forget to drop in once in a while she worries about you." I knew he was talking to Ash but secretly I wished and pretended he was talking to me. I giggled as we walked away.

"He's in for a shock when he talks to her."